Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test for Rabies Diagnosis

The Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test is the gold standard for routine sensitive and specific lyssavirus post-mortem diagnosis. The test is based upon the microscopic detection of inclusions in the brain of rabid animals. Brain impressions are made upon microscope slides, which are fixed and incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled antibodies to rabies virus (RABV). These stained impressions are viewed using epi-fluorescence microscopy.